


Grains of Sand

by FadingThroughNebulae



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Mermaids, One Underrated Ship, Pirates, Rare Pairings, Rating May Change, Slow Build, Slow To Update, Tags May Change, That one idea that wouldn't let me sleep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22193473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FadingThroughNebulae/pseuds/FadingThroughNebulae
Summary: Aqua, captain of the Esperance, sails to an island with her crew, searching for something extremely valuable that many other pirates failed to locate in the past. When she encounters a mystical creature, her chances of discovering the whereabouts of such a prize increase.
Relationships: Aqua/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 6





	Grains of Sand

Aqua inhaled the ocean spray with her eyes closed, her hair lifting in the wind. Her hand rested on the worn, wooden spokes of the helm, and the steady creaking of the ship rolling over smooth waters echoed in her ears. A light smile formed on her lips as she took it all in. She snapped back to attention when one of the young crew members, a scrawny blonde that her first mate invited on-board to aid with tending the lines, called out to her.

"What's our course, Captain?"

Aqua met Ven's eyes with a shine in her own, her hooped earrings framing her face. She adjusted her weather-beaten tri-corn hat. "We're headed due east."

"For?"

Aqua acknowledged his question with only the slightest look. "Mr. Terra," she called to her first mate. He clambered up the steps to the quarterdeck. "Steer us forward," she said, handing off the helm to him.

"Aye, Captain."

"But Aqua," Ven turned and followed her as she went to the railing, drawing out her silver gilded spyglass. " _Where_ are we headed?"

Aqua surveyed the horizon, the sun glittering off the water. She collapsed her spyglass then, putting a hand on Ven's shoulder. "You see that island in the distance?"

"The grey one?" Ven said after squinting his eyes, shielding them from the sunlight with one hand.

"Very observant," she said, laughing as she patted him on his faded vest.

Ven sheepishly lowered his head. Many grey islands rested on the horizon.

"One of them, yes. The larger one," Aqua put her cheek close to his as she pointed, her other hand-decorated with a simple gold ring still resting near his collar. "Notice the faint green on the surface? That's where we're headed."

She broke away from him then, one hand on the hilt of her sword, her light-colored sash shifting as she walked. She sauntered back to Terra, her knee-high boots tromping over the wood Ven just swabbed this morning as the sun lifted over the ocean blue. He lived most days to see the dawn breaking on the horizon, the sky bleeding a faint orange and pink.

"But why?" he asked further.

She looked back at him as she stood by the helm. Seagulls fluttered overhead with soft calls. She faced the head of the ship, arms folded over her chest. "There's something very special on that island," she said, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She returned to Ven's face with a side glance. "You'll know that when we find it."

"So, treasure then?"

Aqua gave a faint nod. "Something like that."

Ven opened his mouth to ask yet another question, but Aqua spoke over him, yelling to the crew to prepare the ship to dock. As the ship bustled with the crew managing sails and lines, Aqua bumped Terra aside with her hip, taking control back over the helm as she steered it towards the island. She wore a small smile on her face, eyes focused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Captain, I really feel the need to protest." Terra watched her, some of the crew gathered around them.

"If you don't desire the ship to be left with Coakley, who is _very_ trusted as my quartermaster, then you can stay behind," Aqua said, pulling the rowboat down from its perch in the air.

"I just don't think it's the best idea."

Aqua stopped, turning on her heels. "Then you. Can stay. Here," she said, poking him in the shoulder with each emphasis. She resumed her task of now lowering the rowboat into the water. "Ven, climb aboard."

Ven, with shaking fists and an excited smile, hauled himself over the railing and down into the boat. Aqua handed the line to Terra and went after Ven. 

"Bring her on down," Aqua said, giving her first mate a casual salute with two fingers. 

Terra released a frustrated sigh and handed the rope over to Coakley before he climbed off the ship as well. 

"Don't you worry, Captain," Coakley said, his hands sliding over the rope. "I'll keep these rats in line. This ship will be in better order than when you left."

"I'll hold you to that promise," Aqua called back up to him with a grin as the boat dropped into the water.

Terra and Ven each picked up an oar, and started rowing. Aqua pulled a small leather-bound journal from the inner pocket of her dark blue jacket. The sun-tarnished buttons on her hem clicked against each other and she poured over the book as the tiny boat tossed on the waves. It almost capsized once, with her gripping the side along with her hat.

"Be careful!" She glared at Terra.

"Wasn't my fault, Captain," he said, eyebrows raised as he gestured to Ven next to him with his head.

Ven caught that and shoved him hard in the arm. The boat jerked, and Aqua snapped at them again, eventually ripping the two oars from their hands and circling them around the large island herself. She soon found a spot offshore and brought them in, the rowboat sliding onto the sand. Ven expressed some state of small shock as they navigated up the rocks into a clearing through the foliage.

"I didn't know there was a port here." 

"Neither did I. Captain?" Terra looked at her, but she brushed past as she said, "I've heard talk, yes."

She stopped then in the center of the town next to a nearby spring, water pooling over a stack of rocks. After glancing around for a moment, Terra met Aqua's face. "Well, I'm going to fetch some supplies."

"Wonderful. Take Ven with you."

"Uhh..."

Aqua faced Ven now, his cheeks dirty but his eyes bright with the prospect of exploring someplace new. "I want you and Terra to ask the people here if they've seen anything when you're done, okay?"

"Seen what exactly?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Terra will tell you." She turned to leave towards another part of the port, and Terra softly shook his head.

He put a hand to Ven's back and guided him towards a hut closest to the shoreline, which sold what looked like hand-crafted nets and spices, filling Ven in on the treasure Aqua so desperately sought.


End file.
